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S.L.K. 2.0
Citizen
Username: Scrotisloknows
Post Number: 1751
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 5:23 pm: | 
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On Tape: Rep Won't Let Customer Quit AOL
POSTED: 4:11 pm EDT June 21, 2006
UPDATED: 5:00 pm EDT June 21, 2006
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Watch Video: AOL Rep Won't Let Man Cancel Account | Slideshow: Blow-By-Blow Slideshow
E-mail: Send Video To A Friend
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An incredible video from CNBC shows an AOL customer trying to cancel his account, but a phone rep won't let him do it. What customer Vincent Ferrari got when he tried to cancel his account was a lot of frustration.
It took him 15 minutes waiting on the phone just to reach a real, live person.
And, what happened next was recorded by Ferrari on audio and lasted about four minutes:
CLOCK READOUT - 00:00
AOL REPRESENTATIVE: Hi this is John at AOL... how may I help you today?
VINCENT FERRARI: I wanted to cancel my account.
AOL: Sorry to hear that. Let's pull your account up here real quick. Can I have your name please?
VINCENT: Vincent Ferrari.
CLOCK READOUT - 00:30
AOL: You've had this account for a long time.
VINCENT: Yup.
AOL: Use this quite a bit. What was the cause of wanting to turn this off today?
VINCENT: I just don't use it anymore.
AOL: Do you have a high speed connection, like the DSL or cable?
VINCENT: Yup.
AOL: How long have you had that...
VINCENT: Years...
AOL: ...the high speed?
VINCENT: ...years.
AOL: Well, actually I'm showing a lot of usage on this account.
VINCENT: Yeah, a long time, a long time ago, not recently...
CLOCK READOUT - 01:47
AOL: Okay, I mean is there a problem with the software itself?
VINCENT: No. I just don't use it, I don't need it, I don't want it. I just don't need it anymore.
AOL: Okay. So when you use this... I mean, use the computer, I'm saying, is that for business or for... for school?
VINCENT: Dude, what difference does it make. I don't want the AOL account anymore. Can we please cancel it?
CLOCK READOUT - 02:21
AOL: Last year was 545, last month was 545 hours of usage...
VINCENT: I don't know how to make this any clearer, so I'm just gonna say it one last time. Cancel the account.
AOL: Well explain to me what's, why...
VINCENT: I'm not explaining anything to you. Cancel the account.
AOL: Well, what's the matter man? We're just, I'm just trying to help here.
VINCENT: You're not helping me. You're helping me...
AOL: I am trying to help.
VINCENT: Helping... listen, I called to cancel the account. Helping me would be canceling the account. Please help me and cancel the account.
AOL: No, it wouldn't actually...
VINCENT: Cancel my account...
AOL: Turning off your account...
VINCENT: ...cancel the account...
AOL: ...would be the worst thing that...
VINCENT: ...cancel the account.
CLOCK READOUT - 03:02
AOL: Okay, cause I'm just trying to figure out...
VINCENT: Cancel the account. I don't know how to make this any clearer for you. Cancel the account. When I say cancel the account, I don't mean help me figure out how to keep it, I mean cancel the account.
AOL: Well, I'm sorry, I don't know what anybody's done to you Vincent because all I'm...
VINCENT: Will you please cancel the account.
CLOCK READOUT - 03:32
AOL: Alright, some day when you calmed down you're gonna realize that all I was trying to do was help you... and it was actually in your best interest to listen to me.
VINCENT: Wonderful, Okay.
CLOCK READOUT - 03:39
"I've never ever experienced anything like that," Ferrari told CNBC.
He recounts how the AOL representative - as a last resort even asked if his dad was home.
"I think I could've put up with everything, but at the point when he asked to speak to my father, I came very close to losing it at that point," said the 30-year-old Ferrari.
Ferrari then posted the call online, and the response was tremendous.
AOL sent him an apology and said the customer service rep was no longer with the company.
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Spqr
Citizen
Username: Spqr
Post Number: 98
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 5:35 pm: |
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I believe AOL's "apology" is crap and I don't believe the rep was fired. I have had this same exact experience twice with AOL and have several friends who have had the same experience. I think AOL trains their reps to use this technique to frustrate people who want to quit into keeping the account. I think they are slimy and would never do business with AOL again. I'm sure the only reason they "apologized" was because they were caught and put on CNBC. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 1829
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 5:40 pm: |
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What made this guy record his conversation with AOL? I don't really know the background of the story, but seems fishy to me. |
Soparents
Citizen
Username: Soparents
Post Number: 1347
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 5:48 pm: |
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He said that he had heard all these stories from people that it was awful trying to cancel AOL. Matt Lauer this morning said he couldn't believe that he didn't lose his cool, and his answer was the only reason he didn't was because he knew he was taping the call.
I cancelled AOL 3 years ago and while it wasn't as bad as this mans experience it was VERRRRRY drawn out (10+ mins of being offered more and more deals and paying less and less money..). In the end I repeated slowly for about the 20th time that I was cancelling, I was sure they were taping the call and if they had any doubt of my cancelling, they should play back the call to verify, I also said that I was changing my bank card so the number they had was useless. It worked, my account went dead 30 mins later!!!!! |
Albatross
Citizen
Username: Albatross
Post Number: 868
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 5:49 pm: |
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Here's the guy's blog, or at least it appears to be: http://insignificantthoughts.com/2006/06/13/cancelling-aol/
EDIT: the transcript isn't the whole conversation. It's even better than it looks. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9928
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 6:23 pm: |
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audio mirror
http://www.jessejcollins.com/files/aolcancellationeditfinal.mp3 |
Larry Seltzer
Citizen
Username: Elvis
Post Number: 53
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 7:56 pm: |
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Of course the rep went too far, but 3:39 doesn't seem like water torture to me. It's fair for them to spend a *little* time trying to talk you out of it. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9931
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 8:12 pm: |
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He should have used this excuse: "I'm going to live on the small island of Ipota in Vanuatu for a year and won't have electricity. I'll definitely sign up again when I get back." |
anon
Supporter
Username: Anon
Post Number: 2804
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 8:19 pm: |
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Or he could have said that it was his intention to stick his head in the oven and and kill himself within the next 30 minutes and that he didn't want to leave any loose ends. |
red
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 5926
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 9:33 pm: |
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Or he could have said he was blind, he just couldn't see himself using it anymore... |
S.L.K. 2.0
Citizen
Username: Scrotisloknows
Post Number: 1753
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 9:42 pm: |
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I personally can't stand AOL. It takes over your computer and no matter how user friendly they claim it to be it isn't.
My step-parents in upstate NY had so many problems with their computer and had many people look at it. I finally had a chance to take a look and immediately found the problem-AOL. I told them to get rid of it and all thei problems would be over...they did and lo and behold...
But I'll never forget this for as long as I live....about 8 years ago when I was much more "computerly naieved," I popped in one of those free AOL CDs in my computer. I didn't give any credit card or debit card numbers and didn't even use the program because it crashed my system. 3 months later I began noticing this 30 dollar deductions from my bank account from a mysterious debtor. I called my bank (this was pre-online banking) to find out AOL has been deducting their monthly charge!!!!! I called AOL and cancelled immediately...
How they did that I have no idea, but that is why I think AOL is evil. The funny thing is I unexpectedly met the top dog at AOL at the time they merged with Time Warner...I was so close to telling him his product sucked but bit my lip...the problems AOL have been having over the last few years is justice enough for me...
-SLK
BTW, on a somewhat different note, I recently called to cancel my wife's Verizon cellphone account (end of contract and got a Nextel since my company issued me a Nextel BB). I immediately went into this polite 45 second rant about how I want to cancel and dont try to change my mind...blah blah blah...all the SA said on the other end was "ok, all done!" 
Now that is service...
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Innisowen
Citizen
Username: Innisowen
Post Number: 2066
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 9:44 pm: |
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God, this episode is so old.
Is anyone still using AOL? Why not use Western Union instead then? Or resurrect the Pony Express? |
Larry Seltzer
Citizen
Username: Elvis
Post Number: 55
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 7:06 am: |
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Yes Innisowen, they're still the biggest ISP out there, and they do a lot of things really well. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11900
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 7:53 am: |
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AOL makes a big deal about its large membership base, pretty much what Larry says. However, I remember reading that a lot of their subscribers are on free trial offers and many leave when the free trial is over with. I think this makes their sales people pretty aggresive.
All us Ks pretty much use Mozilla most of the time. However, some online stores seem to have a problem with Mozilla and we use AOL (or IE) for this purpose. In addition the "kids" (23 and 20) have had their screenames since elementary school and every time I mention sixing it I get an arguement.
Another thing AOL is good for is that it is really easy to zoom in on images by clicking and dragging to a clear part of the screen. I used it last night to enlarge some of the images and documents posted about the Rahway Valley RR in the local history section. And, yeah, my eyes ain't what they used to be.
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Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11902
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 8:30 am: |
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Also rereading the transcript I note that Vincent logged over 500 hours on AOL the month before the conversation while claiming he didn't use it anymore.
This looks like a set up to me. |
Oldstone
Citizen
Username: Rogers4317
Post Number: 769
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 8:39 am: |
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Bob, what's the difference how long and when he used it if he wants to cancel the account? AOL is totally out of line and even though i wasn't thinking of cancelling because it has been my home email address for so long, i am definitely thinking about it now. |
Hoops
Citizen
Username: Hoops
Post Number: 1529
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 8:57 am: |
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I agree with SLK 100%. I had AOL way back when, and the service was poor. When I cancelled they too gave me a run around. I will never, ever use AOL for anything. I discourage everyone I can whenever I get the chance. |
notehead
Supporter
Username: Notehead
Post Number: 3482
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 10:10 am: |
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I'm with you guys. I was one of the first 200,000 members of AOL, according to them. I only stayed with them so long because I felt inordinately proud of having a simple screen name without any numbers in it, "Notehead". But I never did anything on AOL that I couldn't do better outside, and the way their software messes with your computer (regardless of platform) is really infuriating. I'm glad to be rid of them, and I do recall getting a bit of a runaround when I cancelled. |
mlj
Citizen
Username: Mlj
Post Number: 284
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 10:34 am: |
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If any customer rep asks you for a reason why you are cancelling, saying no thanks, or you are not interested, just tell the rep the reasons are personal and to send you a current bill for any outstanding charges in order to close out the account. Period. They are probably trained to delve into the reasons why, but cut them short and do not allow them to torture you with an interrogation. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 3416
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 12:00 pm: |
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I do agree this story seems like a setup, and 3 and a half minutes is not an inordinate amount of time. The rep was a bit rude, but so was the caller.
"AOL is evil" has been the matra of the 3733t for as long as I can remember - but it is very good for some things, and years ago it was even more valuable as an introduction to the web. Of course, the problem was that they didn't differentiate well between what was the web, and what was AOL's own content.
As for changing your credit card number, unless you specify that you are changing it because AOL will not cancel your account, the credit card company will tell AOL your new number so they can continue to bill you. The credit card companies have this kind of agreement with some large companies that do monthly billing. The raionale is that if you do lose your credit card, you don't have to call AOL, and eery other company that automatically charges your card. They will simply get the new number to charge things to.
disclaimer: years ago I used to "work" for AOL as a chat moderator. I got free internet access, and they even paid for me to go to the first Internet World confrerence in Boston. The room I moderated was Chat About the Web, and I used to help people do things like use alternate browsers with AOL, use FTP, and understand things varying from Winsock compatibilities to where to find certain types of info. That was back when Gopher was a better source of information than the web, newsgroups were more popular than web message boards, and IRC was the only "easy" way to talk in realtime outside of AOL. |
Oldstone
Citizen
Username: Rogers4317
Post Number: 771
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 12:02 pm: |
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Rastro, help me understand. how is this a set-up? how was the caller rude? |
Soparents
Citizen
Username: Soparents
Post Number: 1372
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 12:04 pm: |
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Wow Rastro, then maybe I was lucky that it did get cancelled...It seemed that they were offering more and more discounts and I wasn't taking the bait, maybe it was finally not worth the time to try and convince me to stay - and I thought it was my masterstroke of saying I was changing my card!!!
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Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 1557
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 12:16 pm: |
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It took my wife numerous calls, emails and letters to cancel her dad's account after he passed away. It don't remember all the details, but it was completely, insanely ridiculous.
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Factvsfiction
Citizen
Username: Factvsfiction
Post Number: 741
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 12:30 pm: |
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Didn't Microsoft trademark the words "evil empire" for their own use?
S.L.K. you should expect a letter from Microsoft's IP attorneys if you are misusing the proprietary word " evil".
Just kidding Steve, please don't sue me ! |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 3419
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 12:38 pm: |
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oldstone, do you record your phone conversations? Even when you know in advance that it will be difficult? the only reason to record it is to publicize it. He said he hadn't used it in a "long, long time" but his record showed him using it pretty extensively the previous month. To me, that's a set up.
As for being rude, I didn't hear the audio of it, so I don't know the tone. But some of his resposnes/comments appeared a bit rude.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not defending the AOL rep's actions. He does go too far. I have no problem with them trying to retain customers, but once someone is clear that they have no intention of using it, they should simply cancel their account.
But AOL is not a monster, nor are they evil. There are stupid people doing stupid things all over the place. This is just one example. |
Oldstone
Citizen
Username: Rogers4317
Post Number: 772
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 12:51 pm: |
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rastro, personally i don't record my phone conversations....but if the guy had an inkling that he was going to be given an EXTREMELY hard time cancelling his account and decided to record it to warn others i still don't understand how it is a set-up. what does he gain? a set-up works to gain something, no?
i listened to the audio. the guy only gets ADAMANT, not rude, after the aol rep has clearly annoyed the holy living crap out of him. the aol rep is clearly out of control in the audio.
aol is a joke...used to be if you violated the TOS you really had a hard time getting reinstated. now, you can laugh at the TOS rep about something you wrote in a chat and you get reinstated like that. their standards are woefully inadequate and when legions of gay guys quit aol, like i know they are, aol will be scrambling. bad things happen to bad people. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11909
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 1:04 pm: |
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Vincent got a lot of free publicity from the stunt. As pointed out people don't record their routine phonecalls.
If Vincent wanted to end the conversation all he had to do is laugh and say, "John, nice try, but I don't want to be an AOL subscriber. Save us both some time and take care of it, now!" |
ML
Supporter
Username: Ml1
Post Number: 3035
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 1:16 pm: |
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I thought the AOL policy was that you had to cancel in writing, or at least it used to be. I canceled my account by sending them a fax. I admit they didn't make it easy to find an address or fax number to send the letter, but once you did it was simple. |
Oldstone
Citizen
Username: Rogers4317
Post Number: 773
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 1:24 pm: |
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free publicity from "the stunt"? is he trying to give david blaine a run for his money? what is he getting from "the stunt"? is he going to write a book? is he starring in a new reality tv show? how is he benefitting? this i gotta hear.
if you listen to the audio, you will hear that it was NOT easy for the guy to cancel the account right from the get-go. he shouldn't have to laugh and say john, nice try...he told the rep he wanted to cancel the account. period. the rep was not having it. that is wrong. |
Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 2489
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 1:43 pm: |
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I record all of the calls I make / get on my home phone. It goes through the computer so it's pretty easy. I don't have a reason for doing this, i just do. Once I set it up I left it that way. |
Ima Perplecks
Citizen
Username: Victor
Post Number: 53
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 1:46 pm: |
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I have AOL and I am not looking forward
to cancelling it!!!
I recently wanted to find out more about
cable alternatives. When I called whatever
company it was, I was so pressured that
I hung up knowing I would never call them
again. |
Hoops
Citizen
Username: Hoops
Post Number: 1533
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 2:19 pm: |
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Its really quite simple. AOL is wrong. If they were right then the call should have gone like this -
Vincent: I would like to cancel my account
AOL: Is there anything we can do to change your mind? We would like to retain your business:
V: No, I am certain I want my account canceled.
AOL: Yes sir, we are sorry to loss your business. Your account is now cancelled, please call us and we will gladly reinstate you.
End of story. Anything other then the above is hard sell pressure tactics and should be far beneath a behemouth the size of AOL. |
S.L.K. 2.0
Citizen
Username: Scrotisloknows
Post Number: 1765
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 - 3:25 pm: |
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Hoops,
Agreed!
Feel the earth tremor...
-SLK |
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